14 DAY TRIAL // A large group of scientists featuring members from around the world has recently issued a new report on the state of the world's coral reefs, which shows that about 75 percent of them are under threat.
This is the first time a survey of this scale takes into account a large number of local and global pressures, which include climate change and global warming, rising ocean temperatures and the increasing levels of oceanic acidification marine organisms need to endure.
According to the research, reefs are no more able to handle all these stress factors than fish and other marine animals are. This is very worrying since coral reefs are biodiversity hot spots, and home to large number of different species.
All these animals live in a very delicate ecosystem, and formed intricate food webs over millions of years of joint evolution. Introducing external pressures into these barely-balanced habitats could lead to a cascade of population collapses, experts warn.
The new investigation was carried out by experts with the World Resources Institute, the Nature Conservancy, the WorldFish Center, the International Coral Reef Action Network, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center.
Also collaborating in the study was a network of no less than 25 partner organizations, which also included the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“This report serves as a wake-up for policy-makers, business leaders, ocean managers, and others about the urgent need for greater protection for coral reefs,” explains expert Dr. Jane Lubchenco.
“As this report makes clear local and global threats, including climate change, are already having significant impacts on coral reefs – putting the future of these beautiful and valuable ecosystems at risk,” she goes on to say.
Lubchenco holds an appointment as the NOAA Administrator, and is also the US under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. She says that the largest threats on corals are still local, and that they include overfishing, pollution and coastal development.
By 2030, the number of threatened reefs could grow to 90 percent, if the situation is not rectified at a global scale. By 2050, all coral reefs in the world could be endangered.
“Despite the dire situation for many reefs, there are reasons for hope,” explains the lead author of the report, Lauretta Burke. She holds an appointment as a senior associate at the WRI.
“Reefs are resilient, and by reducing the local pressures on reefs, we can help buy time to find solutions to global threats that can preserve reefs for future generations,” she concludes.